Ottawa Police are being forced to limit next year's budget to an increase of 2.5 per cent, less than half of what they were seeking for approval.
Mayor Jim Watson, who now sits on the Police Services Board, had a motion approved to limit the increase in order to meet council's demands for a maximum 2.5 per cent increase in city taxes.
The police initially wanted the Police Services Board to approve a budget increase of 5.6 per cent. Police will have to cut $6 million from their budget request in order to meet Watson's demands.
The current operating budget for the police is about $240 million.
Police are currently using their budget to enact new oversight measures in the wake of several allegations of prisoner abuse on the Ottawa cellblock.
The force is shelling out $50,000 to add audio to cellblock video feeds. Other measures include a new supervisor to oversee the cellblock, a policy review and additional training for officers.
